De novo
by darluvscaryl
Summary: Carol witnesses Ed's murder and finds herself and her young daughter in the witness protection program. Her neighbor, Daryl, is there for more than just a cup of sugar.
1. Chapter 1

He would live in the townhouse next to them. They didn't know he was there to protect them, but after what that bastard Ed had exposed them to, they were going to need him just in case things went south. Daryl was briefed as to their situation a week ago.

Ed was mixed up with with the wrong group of people and found himself on the end of a silencer to the temple. Unbeknownst to the shooter, Shellie was home. She was suppose to be picking up her daughter, Katie, from an overnight trip she had been on with family friends, but got a call that the group was delayed because severe weather had moved into the area, and travel was suspended until the next day. Hidden in the bedroom closet, Shellie watched the event unfold as Ed plead for his life.

"Merle, I got your money, man. I do! I would never steal from you!" Ed's eyes held fear as he knew that he was done for. He had been stealing small amounts of money from a petty cash pot that he was given to transport drugs from state to state. Could you call it petty cash if it held thousands of dollars at one time? You could in the drug world and that is why Ed assumed he'd never be found out. Merle caught wind of this when the cartel's "bookkeeper" finally discovered what was going on. It took them a while to trace it back to Ed, as the amounts were miniscule in the overall world of the drug trafficking.

Smacking Ed's cheek as he talked, Merle replied, "Ed, Ed, Ed...did you really think that I was so stupid I wouldn't find out what you have been doing!? I take care of you, your family and this is how you repay me? I've set the petty cash pots with certain amounts, monitored what you were taking in and what was flowing out. It's been short a while now."

Changing his tune, he pleaded, "I'll give it all back! Let's go right now. I'll get it for you and promise it will never happen again! Of course I appreciate what you have done for me!" Ed began to piss himself as he heard the safety click off.

Shellie watched as Merle leaned over and said, "No one steals from me, you stupid bastard. You are lucky your wife and kid are not here right now, otherwise I'd take them and sell them to the highest bidder. Just for fun, you fuckwad. Lucky for them, we have found your private stash and cleared the debt."

She heard the shot and saw Ed slump to the floor. The blood began to pool around him as Shellie kept her hand over her mouth to stifle any noise she may make. Merle turned to his henchman and said, "We're out."

It took about two years from the time Shellie saw Ed get shot, to her testifying in a closed proceeding, to beginning her new life. After several months of counseling and a final witness protection location being set up, she was ready to move on. Luckily, Katie was only three and didn't really understand what was going on. Ed hardly spent any time with her because he didn't like children, so there weren't any concerns about her saying something about her dad.

The FBI were not concerned with Shellie being discovered because Merle and his people still hadn't figured out who saw him shoot Ed, but decided on witness protection as an extra measure of precaution to make sure that they were safe. Shellie turned off the engine and turned to face her daughter. Katie's hair used to hang in long light brown ringlets all the way down her back, but now she had a pixie style cut that actually framed her beautiful little face. "Come on, Sophia. Let's check out our new home." Shellie had worked with a moving team online and laid out where she wanted their personal items placed inside. The only thing she would have to worry about were their suitcases in the car.

As she went around and lifted Sophia out of the car, the man who lived next door was coming out his front door. He didn't have a uniform on, but she knew he was an officer by the badge clipped on his belt. She held her daughter's hand as she walked up the path. He approached her, extended his hand and said, "Hi! You must be my new neighbors. I'm Daryl, Daryl Dixon."

Uncertainty crept into her thoughts, but she didn't want to appear rude. "Hi! Yes. I'm Carol Peletier and this is my daughter, Sophia." She shook his hand and smiled when Sophia reached out and tried to put her hand on top of theirs.

Daryl bent down and looked at the little girl, grabbed her hand and said, "Yes, Miss Sophia. It is lovely to meet you, too." The little girl smiled a toothy grin at him before she clung to her mother's leg. He looked back at Carol as he stood up and was amazed at how blue her eyes were. "I better get to work. It was nice to meet you ladies." Smiling, he turned and made his way down the path to his truck.

"Nice to meet you as well," Carol called as she watched him leave. He certainly is easy on the eyes, she thought as she walked up the stoop and unlocked the door.


	2. Spices

Carol spent most of the day unpacking small boxes, playing with Sophia and stocking her kitchen with all kinds of foods they had gotten grocery shopping. Ed had a very traditional pallet, so she was only allowed to cook meat and potatoes kinds of dishes.

"I think we will have BLTs and chips for dinner tonight, Soph," said Carol as she watched her daughter play in her big girl kitchen set.

"I like Ts momma!"

Laughing, Carol walked over and knelt down as she said, "I know you do, my girl. What are you cooking?"

Sophia stuck her tongue out as she concentrated on stirring what was in her bowl. "I cookin chokit pisa!"

"Chocolate pizza sounds very yummy!" Carol stood up and walked over to the sink. Looking out the little window above the sink, she noticed her neighbor was home from work. He turned the gas on as he placed his steak on the shelf next to the grill.

As he turned to go back into his house, he looked up and his eyes met hers. He smiled and gave a small wave as she tried to look away and pretend she wasn't watching him. She felt herself blushing as she began to wash the lettuce.

Carol was checking the bacon in the oven when she heard Sophia's footsteps head towards the back door. She closed the oven door and turned to quickly find out where her daughter was off to. Sophia smiled as she looked up and began to wave. Daryl was standing at the screen door and said, "Hiya, Sophia."

"Daryl, hi," said Carol as she walked over to intercept her daughter. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, sorry to bother you ladies but I am hoping you have some spices I can borrow for my steak. I hate shopping and have literally used up every spice I had."

She was hesitant to open the door, but realized she was probably overreacting. Opening the screen door she answered, "You're in luck. We went to the store today and I stocked up." She pointed to her spice rack on the pantry door after she guided Sophia back towards her play kitchen. "What kind do you want?"

Walking up behind her he looked over her shoulder as he answered, "What do you have?"

"Lemon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, steak seasoning, salt, or pepper. I don't think cinnamon will work for your steak." She smiled as turned to face him and was surprised by how good he smelled. Like soap and outdoors.

"Steak seasoning would be great. Also, garlic powder for my garlic butter sauce." He watched her as she turned to grab what he wanted. He was surprised by how petite she was. Anger filled him as he thought about her husband beating her and putting her life in jeopardy. He shook the thoughts off as she turned back and handed him what he needed.

Their hands briefly touched and he was surprised by the warm feeling that passed between the two of them. He knew he wasn't alone as he heard a tiny gasp escaped from her lips. Their eyes met at the same time the timer went off on the oven reminding Carol the bacon was in the oven.

"I better get going. I will bring them back a little bit later," he said as he held up the spices. Bending down by Sophia he tousled her curly hair as he said, "Your cooking smells good, peanut."

"Tank you. I makin chokit pisa," Sophia answered as she pushed her purple pot onto the burner that was 'heating up.'

"Good luck with that. Bye, ladies. Thanks again." The screen door closed with a quiet bump as he walked towards his grill.

"You're welcome." She walked over locked the screen door as he made his way back across their adjoining yards.

After Carol had finished cleaning up the kitchen and tucking Sophia in bed, she was relaxing out on their tiny porch with a beer when she noticed Daryl making his way towards her.

He smiled as held up the spices. "I wanted to get these back to you before they ended up in the back of my pantry never to be seen from again."

"I appreciate that, thanks. Would you like a beer?," Carol asked as she grabbed the spices and pointed to the other lawn chair.

"Sure." He sat down as she slipped inside. "I think you will like it here," he said as she stepped back out and he took his beer. "It is pretty quiet and there are children that Sophia can play with."

"That sounds great. How long have you lived here?"

"It will be two years next month."

She nodded as she lifted the bottle and swallowed a sip. "How long have you been a police officer?"

He didn't correct her about actually being F.B.I. as he answered, "Fourteen years, but a detective the last six. What about you?"

"I am a school librarian. I will be starting at Newcastle Elementary school next week."

"Wow, that's a busy job."

"It can be, but I love watching the student's excitement as they check out new books." He liked the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the kids. "A really nice thing is my campus has the employee day care for the district, so Sophia gets to be close to me while I work."

"That sounds like a great setup for the both of you."

She smiled as she nodded to him and fell quiet. They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the night sky and cool breeze.

Daryl took a final sip of his beer and stood up. He found himself realizing how really beautiful she was as he glanced at her profile. "I better get going, early day tomorrow. Thanks for the beer."

"You're welcome. Have a safe day tomorrow."

"I will. Goodnight, Carol."

"Night, Daryl." She watched as he walked away and shook her head when she realized she was ogling his ass. "You don't have time for that," she mumbled as she walked into her house and locked up for the evening.

"Well isn't that interesting." A man in a dark blue Armani suit leaned over and looked at the computer screen with a picture of Carol on it. He took a screenshot of the information, shut off the computer and stepped over the body of the agent he had just killed.

"Yeah, get a message to Merle on the inside. I finally got the information we were looking for in regards to "his case."


	3. Scary Stuff

A few days later Daryl and Carol were in their houses enjoying the pleasant weather with their windows wide open welcoming in the nice breeze. Daryl was laying in his recliner watching tv when all of a sudden he heard a scream come from Carol's house. Launching himself out of his chair he grabbed his pistol and took off out the back door. He rounded the side of his place and crouched down below her kitchen windows.

He didn't hear anything for a moment, so he peeked over the ledge and didn't see anything in the kitchen. "No! Get away from me!," came from inside the house which caused Daryl to jump up, run to the kitchen door and open it with silent efficiency. He stepped noiselessly past the kitchen table and glanced down the hall. He could see Carol standing in the living room holding Sophia in her arms. Carol's attention was focused on someone or something that was blocked by the wall.

Wanting to get Carol's attention without putting her in further danger, he went to the smoke detector in the kitchen and hit the test button. As soon as the noise pierced the air, Carol jumped and the same time Sophia let out a scream. Catching Carol's attention she focused her eyes on him and said, "Daryl? What in the world are you doing in here!?"

"I heard you scream and thought you were in danger," he replied as he clicked the safety back on his gun and holstered it. Walking towards them he continued, "What's wrong?"

"Gosh, I feel like an idiot. Soph and I were watching TV and a mouse went scurrying along the wall."

Trying to hide his smirk, Daryl responded, "A mouse…I see."

"Don't you mock, me, Daryl! It was a big mouse! I had to protect Sophia!"

Snickering, he answered, "Oh, I am not mocking you. A mouse can be a very scary thing. You did a great job keeping her safe. Hi, Sophia!"

"Hi, Arro!"

"Are you ok?," he said as he began to walk towards the both of them.

"Yep," she said as she put her head on Carol's shoulder.

"I am happy to hear that, peanut." Looking up at Carol he asked, "Ok, what direction did you see the mouse last?"

"Over there behind that plant," Carol pointed as she began to walk towards the kitchen. "I am going to make Sophia a snack before bed. Good luck."

"You do realize that I probably won't be able to catch it. We may have to set traps."

Her face filled with disgust as she her response was filled with sarcasm. "Yeah. That sounds great."

He smiled as she turned towards the kitchen and he made his way over to the plant. Gathering his thoughts, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he swiped the lock and saw the text from work which simply said, "Big trouble in the nest." He knew this meant there was a sudden issue with Carol's case and he needed to call in.

He walked swiftly back into the kitchen and said, "Hey, Carol. Issue at work and I gotta go. I will bring traps over in the morning."

"Oh, ok, sorry I disrupted your evening. Thanks for coming over."

"No problem, night."

"Night, Daryl."

After he got back to his place, he closed the windows and called work. "Hey Shane, Dixon here. Rick told me to call in immediately."

"Good thing you did, Daryl. Hold on."

"Daryl, thanks for getting back to me so quickly," said Rick as he shuffled through a stack of papers. "We have an issue with Carol's case."

"Are you kidding me? After two years!?"

"Apparently they stayed quiet for a while in hopes of easier access to who did it. One of the field agents back in her hometown was killed in his office. Prior to his death, information in regards to her case had been accessed. Her safehouse address is not listed there, but we know it won't take long to figure it out. We are going to move her in the morning as it is too late to move her tonight. There are already agents covering your places, but you are also up. Got me?"

"I understand. I will watch our places from the inside."

"You will get change of location information in the next hour or so. Vigilance, Dixon."

"Yes, sir. Got it."

After he got off the phone, he grabbed some mouse traps and went back over to Carol's and knocked on the back door. She peeked out the curtain and then unlocked it. Opening it, she said, "Hey, Daryl. Back so soon?"

"I knew you were freaked out, so I thought I better lay the traps tonight. If there is one in a trap, just let me know in the morning."

"Oh, thanks! I appreciate that."

He made his way through her house as she finished cleaning Sophia up from her snack. As he went along, he made sure the windows and front door were secure.

He walked back into the kitchen and said, "All set. Have a good night and don't forget to lock up behind me."

"Thanks for everything. I will certainly make sure to lock everything and set the alarm. Have a great night."

"Night."

After he locked his own back door, he began preparations to hunker down and monitor from his place. Shane sent him the details for the transfer and he packed a bag for himself. Turning off the light, he settled in his recliner to wait it out.

Later that evening a black Escalade drove slowly down the street as the occupants found the townhomes they were looking for.

"This should be an easy hit. This lady is on her own with no one watching over her. Waiting a while before pursuing this was a brilliant idea Merle had," said Merle's second in command, Philip.

Gareth answered, "That's why he's the boss, dude."

They chuckled as they drove away.


	4. Packing Bags

Daryl finished his fourth cup of coffee as he completed his rounds of the townhomes. He knew the outside was covered as he had constant feedback in his earpiece so he could focus on the inside. He was concerned with how the talk was going to go with Carol in the morning. The plan was to have Agent Grimes call her in the morning, give her the security code and explain that they needed to talk with her within the hour. Carol, Sophia and Daryl would move out by nine and be on their way to the next secure location.

He decided to take advantage of the little bit of time that was left before everything happened, so he made himself some instant grits and toast. Looking up he said, "Yes, momma, I know that instant grits are blasphemy against a southern boy, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Smiling, he thought of the few rare moments his mother was given the opportunity to make breakfast for him and his brother.

He found his mind begin to wander back in time, but was snapped out of it when a voice came in his ear stating that the coast was still clear. Eating quickly, he shut the light off above the stove and sat back and waited for the sun to rise.

Carol rolled over, slowly opened her eyes and smile softly. Daryl reached over and began to caress her cheek as she said, "Morning."

"Morning, blue eyes," he replied as his fingers slowly dragged across her bottom lip. She reached out with her tongue and swiped his fingers as they passed back over her lips. She heard a gasp as she took one of his fingers in her mouth and began to suck on it. His eyes darkened with arousal as he watched her close her lips tighter and felt her tongue swirl around the tip. "Damn, woman, that is quite a wake up."

He withdrew his fingers and pinned her beneath him suddenly as he began to kiss her deeply. He broke the kiss and began to kiss and suck his way down her neck towards her breasts. He raised her shirt and began to lean towards the nipple when…

Rrrrriiinnnngg! Startled awake from her dream, Carol sat up and rubbed her face with her hands while she tried to figure out what the heck brought on a dream like that about Daryl. Realizing the phone was still ringing, she shook off the arousal she felt and reached to pick it up. Glancing down, the caller ID showed "Bob Smith, USA." Her heart stopped as she knew immediately what that meant.

"H-hello?"

"Ms. Peletier. This is Bob Smith. I have two bags of clothes I need to drop off at the laundry."

Her stomach curled as she remembered the code and knew what it meant. "Yes, I can do that."

"Eight a.m. I will drop them off."

She dropped the phone as she tried to hang it up and had to grab for it before it hit the floor. How!? After all this time, something had happened with Merle and they were once again in danger and having to prepare to leave.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed while her eyes filled with tears. "We are never going to have a normal life again," she mumbled to herself as she pulled her robe on. Looking at the clock, she saw it was seven-thirty. She had thirty minutes to get herself ready, get Sophia up and pack them a bag. Carol knew everything else would be taken care of by the bureau.

A knock came at the door thirty minutes later and she checked the peephole. Staring back at her was Agent Grimes holding his credentials that only she could see. "Yes," she asked.

"I am here to drop the laundry off," he replied as he bent over to pick up a bag.

Opening the door, she stepped aside as he walked in. Closing the door behind them, he set the bag down and followed her into the kitchen. Sophia looked up from her cereal and said, "Who dat, momma?"

"A friend, Soph. Say hi to Rick."

"Hi Dick!"

Rick chuckled as Carol gasped, "I'm so sorry about that. She has trouble saying her Rs."

"No problem. Come on, sit down," he said as he pulled out a chair. "I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but we have reason to believe that Merle has had his henchman looking for you over these last two years, but not aggressively. I guess they figured people's guards would be down after so long, but we have kept a close eye on him in prison as well as his accomplices on the outside. Even though you have had coverage here, we are still going to move you. The plan is to move you to a remote location outside of Denver, but your identities will remain the same as that information was not discovered. They were able to access a local database, but what they got is the bare minimum."

Carol felt saddened by the thought of not seeing Daryl again but she stood up and went around to clean up Sophia. "How much danger are we in?"

"We are fairly certain they don't know where you live yet, but aren't taking any chances. Do you have your bags packed?"

"I am almost finished. Wait, you said we had someone watching us here?"

"Yes. We have an agent on the inside who will be accompanying you and Sophia to the new location and staying with you for a while. Sophia is already used to seeing him, so he is our best choice for staying at the cabin with you."

"Wait, what? Familiar with him? Who is the agent you are talking about?"

"Me," said a voice from behind her. She already knew who it was without having to look.

"Hi Arro!," Sophia suddenly yelled.


	5. Isn't It Ironic?

Carol turned and caught his attention as he walked over to the table. "Hi, peanut," he said as he sat down between her and Sophia. "What are you eating?"

"I having oatme and nana," said Sophia as she showed him her bowl.

"Looks yummy," he answered as he turned his attention to Carol.

"Daryl?," said Carol questioningly. "I? You? You're an agent with the Witness Protection Program? Have you been watching Sophia and I?"

"Let me explain," answered Daryl as Rick's phone began to ring.

Rick stood and made his way to the front door, "I have to get this, excuse me."

Carol and Daryl maintained eye contact and hadn't even acknowledged the fact that Rick had left. "I am not directly linked with the program, but offer my services when they have a special case."

"What does that mean?"

"I am technically an employee of the F.B.I., but I am under a contract with them. They need me, I show up."

She stood up and went to the counter to pour herself more coffee while she tried to process what he had told her so far. He could tell she was upset about everything so he went to her. She could feel his heat as he walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I took this case because I knew the two of you needed protection. I don't know a lot of the details, but I can tell you one thing." He turned her around so they were face to face. He tipped her chin up to look deep into her eyes as he continued, "I will not let anything happen to either of you. I promise." His fingers trembled as she gently grasped his wrist. They leaned towards each other and as their lips brushed they were suddenly interrupted.

"Momma, I done!," yelled Sophia as she held up her bowl.

Jumping away from each other, Carol quickly went over and got Sophia out of her booster chair. "Let me get you cleaned up, love."

Daryl shook his head and tried to refocus his thoughts as he watched Carol wipe up Sophia's hands and face.

"We are going to be leaving in a little bit, Sophia. Put some books in your Frozen bag and grab Elsa and Anna."

"Okay, momma," replied Sophia as she went to her room and began talking to her dolls.

"What now, Daryl,"Carol asked as she began to wash dishes.

"No time for cleaning. We have to be leaving pretty soon. Do you have a bag packed for each of you?"

Shutting off the water, she shook her head as what was happening to them really began to sink in. Tears filled her eyes as her voice trembled, "I don't know if I have the strength to keep doing this over and over, Daryl. I am tired and frustrated and want to just kick the shit out of Ed. He was a total bastard in life and continues to haunt us in death."

He grabbed her hand and spoke quietly, "I know it is hard, but just take all of this one day at a time. I will be with you every step of the way. Agent Grimes is good at this job and will get the information he needs to put this scumbag away for good."

"I hope so." Withdrawing her hand, she went to check on Sophia.

Rick came back in and looked at Daryl with doubt in his body language. "Dixon, could I talk to you in the living room for a second?"

When they were in private Rick said, "We found out who is behind all of this with Carol and it is not good. This guy is sitting in prison and still has minions out here working for him. We know his henchman are Philip Stan and Gareth Jones. Either of those names ring a bell?"

"I have heard the names, but that is about it. Who is the guy in charge?"

Rick rubbed the back of his neck as he hesitated. "I don't know how to tell you this, but you do know the top dog. It's your brother, Daryl...it's Merle."

Daryl froze once he realized exactly what Rick had told him. "Wait. What!? Merle is responsible for what Carol is going through right now?"

Rick nodded as he replied, "Yes. I'm sorry to have to tell you this."

Daryl tried to think back to the last time he had even seen or heard from Merle. It had to have been at least fifteen years ago. They had fought when Merle had called from jail, yet again, asking to be bailed out. Daryl told him he was heading off to basic training for the Army and that Merle was on his own. When he got out of the Army, Daryl tried to find his brother but to no avail.

Not wanting Carol to hear him he hissed, "I can't believe Merle got himself involved in shit as deep as this! He was always getting himself in trouble when we were growing up, but I had always secretly hoped he had pulled himself together."

"Daryl, I need to know if you can handle this job. If you don't think you can, let me know now, so I can assign someone else to them."

"I got this," said Daryl as he tried to get his anger under control.

"That is what I want to hear," said Rick as he slapped Daryl on the back. "I am going to get the car to come and pick you three up, but I need to know one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Are you going to tell Carol that Merle is your brother?"

Daryl stilled as he heard her voice behind him say, "Tell me what?"


	6. Powerful Imagery

Carol walked up next to him and said, "Tell me what, Daryl?"

"That we need to leave right now. I thought we had a little more time, but Rick thinks we better take off."

Looking into his eyes she knew he was lying, but decided not to pursue it right now. "Gotcha. I will go get Sophia and our bags."

As she left the kitchen, Daryl looked at Rick and growled, "Yes, I will tell her after we get settled at the cabin, but give me some time to process this shit myself, ok?"

Rick nodded as she returned holding Sophia's hand. In a voice full of excitement in which her face did not match, Carol said, "We're ready. I told Sophia we are taking a magical trip, so she is excited." Smiling down at her daughter, she held back the sorrow she felt so deeply.

Two other agents appeared in the hallway and assisted in escorting Carol and Sophia into the black Chevy Suburban that awaited them. Once settled, Carol glanced out the window to look at their little place one last time. Daryl watched as tears began to fall down her cheeks. He reached across Sophia's booster seat and began to caress Carol's shoulder. She looked over at him and gave him a little smile.

Sophia looked up at her mom and began to worry. "What's the matter, mommy? Why are you crying?"

Brushing away the tears, she answered quickly, "Oh, I am not crying Sophie-girl. I just have something in my eye."

Accepting that answer, Sophia turned back to her dolls as she said, "Okay, mommy."

The whole trip only took a matter of a few hours as they were taken to a private airplane at a small terminal at the airport. There was no security check or taxiing the runway for extended periods of time. Sophia loved her first plane ride, but her excitement exhausted Carol. The ride up the mountain allowed both of them to fall asleep. Daryl was grateful for the quiet as it allowed he and Rick time to communicate via the sat phone on how to keep them safe.

Carol woke up a few minutes before the arrived and was stunned when she looked out the window. Snow could be seen for miles and the narrow road they were driving on made her palms tingly as the drop off to her right seem to go on forever.

"It is a nice view isn't it," said Daryl from the front seat. He looked at her in the rearview mirror briefly before his eyes returned to the road. "I know the drop off can be a little intimidating, but I grew up in the mountains and am quite familiar with how to drive up here. I promise you two ladies are in good hands.

Carol nodded as she asked, "How much longer until we get there?" Looking around again, she continued, "We really are in the middle of nowhere, aren't we?"

Daryl chuckled as he turned onto a smaller dirt road, but instead of heading further up the mountain, this road seemed to head downhill a bit. "About five more minutes and we will be there."

Carol began to gather Sophia's toys that were within her reach and put them in her backpack. She looked up when the car slowed and was suddenly overwhelmed by what she saw. Daryl pulled the Jeep up next to the cabin and shut the engine off. He turned to see her piercing blue eyes focus on the lake behind the cabin.

"Oh my goodness," she said as she continued to take it all in. "I can't believe that the WPP has a safehouse set up like this."

"Actually, this isn't part of the program. My grandfather owned this land and had the cabin built about fifteen years ago. When he died, he left this to me and another house he owned went to my brother. We are about fifteen miles from town and there are times that if the storm is bad enough, the road can be blocked for two weeks before the plows can get through."

Carol's thoughts were interrupted by Sophia waking up. "Are we here, mommy?"

"Yes, love. Come on, let's get out and see where are magical trip brought us."

Daryl got out and opened the back door to help the ladies out. Sophia smiled as she was set down on the snow packed driveway. "Oohh, mommy! Look! All the white...like da cowds!" Bending over she touched the snow and squealed, "COLD! Eeeeeee!"

Daryl and Carol began to laugh as Carol told her, "It is snow, Sophia. It comes from the sky like rain, but it is cold."

Sophia's big smile warmed Carol's heart as she watched her daughter stomp around the snow just to hear the squeaking of her shoes on it.

"Be careful, love. The snow can be slippery."

"Like the tub, momma?" Her little tennis shoes barely stood a chance on a patch of ice she came upon as she asked her mom the question. Her little arms began to flail as her feet were suddenly taken out from under her. Daryl's hands caught her just before she hit her bottom on the ground and stood her back up away from the ice patch.

"Watch out. We don't want you to get any owies while we're up here, peanut."

"Thanks, Arro! Got bandaids?"

Chuckling he answered, "Yes, we have bandaids, but you still needs to be careful." Satisfied with his answer, she turned back to stomping her feet on the snow.

Daryl turned to Carol and said, "Why don't you take her for a walk down to the lake? The path is pretty level and it will give her a chance to get some of her energy out. I will bring in our stuff while you ladies explore."

"Sounds great. She will love being outside while it isn't too cold."

"Oh, hold on a second," Daryl said as he walked around to the trunk of the car and popped it open. He returned a moment later with hats and mittens for both of them. Carol was surprised as he explained, "One of the local agents thought about picking up some winter clothes for both of you since we knew you didn't have what would you would need for up here."

"Wow, that was so nice," Carol answered as she grabbed the stuff from him. "You always seem to know just how to take care of us, Daryl." He began to argue, but the appreciative twinkle in her eyes showed him much she enjoyed calling him out on his "another agent" comment.

He knew there was no use arguing, so he went and began carrying things in. Carol got her and Sophia set and they disappeared around the front of the cabin.

After about twenty minutes, Carol and Sophia came in. Daryl had started a fire in the fireplace and had some soup heating up on the stove. "I figured you ladies could use some warming up, so the soup should be ready in about ten minutes."

"Thanks, sounds great," said Carol as she helped Sophia out of her mittens, coat and hat. "We are going to freshen up and get some slippers on."

"I put your things in the second bedroom on the left upstairs and there is a Jack and Jill bathroom attached to it as well. I'm in the bedroom on the other side of the hall."

Sophia took off up the stairs as Carol suddenly thought of Daryl sleeping on his bed across the hall. She imagined his muscular back spread as he laid on his stomach with his arms under his pillow. One leg was cocked to the side while the sheet dipped low enough she could see the rise of his ass just beginning. She shook her head and tried to reign in those kinds of thoughts as she caught his eyes and saw him smirk. Blushing, she turned and followed her daughter upstairs and into the bedroom.

He turned and adjusted himself after knowing damn well what she was imagining just then. "Holy crap, this is going to be interesting."


	7. The Bitter Truth

After Carol got Sophia settled in bed, she went back downstairs to help Daryl finish up the dinner dishes. "You don't have to help with these," said Daryl as he rinsed and loaded the dishwasher. "You cooked, I can clean up."

"I don't mind helping. Heck, Ed never did anything to help out. He would come home from work,,sit down, complain about what I cooked, and then eat it anyway. Then he would go watch TV and I would be stuck cleaning everything up and watching Sophia at the same time." Suddenly, her hand covered her mouth as she realized what she had said. Looking over at him, she spoke quietly, "I can't believe I said that. I just went way out of the WPP protocol. Sorry about that, Daryl."

He stepped over to her and clasped her hands in his. "No need to apologize. Some days we just need to get things out. I'm just glad it was me you were talking to."

"Honestly, you make me feel so comfortable and safe around you, I'm not surprised I slipped up."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because there is something I need to talk to you about. I am still processing it myself, but it pertains to you too. I know that is confusing, but you'll understand in a bit. If you will finish up in here, I want to do a perimeter check. Let's meet on the couch closest to the fireplace in fifteen minutes." He could see the sudden concern on her face and answered, "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Do you trust me?"

"Of course. I have no reason not to." She smiled at him and got up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the lips. They both froze when they realized what she had done without to make light of it she said, "Go do your stealthy James Bond thing and I will meet you on the couch in fifteen minutes."

He laughed, "Stealthy James Bond thing? Really? You do realize he worked for the British Secret Service, not the F.B.I."

Smiling she said, "Yes, I know." Giving his hands a squeeze, she let go as she walked over to the stove and began to wipe it down.

Daryl was checking behind the garage when his mind wandered back to the kiss Carol had given him in the kitchen. Her lips were soft and made him hope for a deeper kiss sometime soon. He had been attracted to her since the moment he laid eyes on her, but was able to remain professional for her and Sophia's safety. Knowing he had their lives in his hands, he pulled himself back to the task at hand.

It was dark behind the garage, but as he rounded the corner, the motion light flipped on, illuminating the entire yard up to the front porch. He made sure to check all the downstairs windows and the ground beneath them in case there were footprints in the snow. Finding nothing amiss, he went back inside. Locking the door behind him, he removed his winter jacket, boots and gloves. He could feel the warmth of the fire and was glad he had started one earlier in the day.

Carol was sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine when he went to the fridge to grab a beer. "Do you want a beer," he asked as he popped the top off of his.

"Sure, that sounds good," she answered as she put the magazine on the end table and tucked her feet up underneath herself.

Daryl handed her her beer and turned slightly to face her. "I am going to ask you a few questions that may seem awkward, but there is a point to all of this, ok?"

Carol nodded, "Fire away."

"What happened the night your husband was killed?"

She hesitated just a moment before she began, "Sophia was with friends and I was not suppose to be home. My husband pulled into the driveway with two guys I didn't know. I was going to prepare them something to eat, as I was expected to do on a moment's notice, but then I saw the gun. One of them was holding a gun to Ed's head, so I ducked into the hall closet before they even made their way inside. They came in and closed the door. That's when I heard Ed tell them that no one was home, but one of them checked the house anyway. I hid behind Ed's golf clubs when he checked where I was."

Sharing the events of that night overwhelmed Carol and her voice began to crack. She began to well up as she relived how terrified she was when the closet door was opened. "The guy walked away and left the door cracked. Ed was down on his knees and begging for his life. The man who appeared to be in charge was holding the gun to his head talking about not being double crossed. I really had no idea what either of them were talking about. It was so hard to be in that closet." Tears fell as she remembered barely breathing so she could stay hidden. Daryl could tell by the sheer terror on her face that this was probably one of the few times she had to talk about that night. He handed her a tissue box as she kept talking.

"It was only a few minutes later that Merle shot him. Merle Dixon. That was the man's name. He just shot him and then turned around and left. I was terrified and waited about ten minutes before I came out. The agents who talked with me afterward assured me that Ed was dead the moment he hit the floor. I will never forget how Ed looked laying there in a pool of his own blood. How Merle just shot him with no hesitation or remorse."

He watched as she pulled herself together after a few minutes. Daryl turned her so they were facing each other. "I know it is tough to have to recall that, but I need to tell you why. Agent Grimes brought something to my attention right before we left and I need to let you know about it as well. He literally found out minutes before we pulled out. After I share it with you, you may decide you want a different agent to stay with you and Sophia." Carol's concern grew, but she remained quiet while he went on.

"I have an older brother. He and I grew up total opposites. I was always trying to do the right thing and he was always in trouble. We became estranged about fifteen years ago. I had no idea where he was or what he has been up to. That is, until yesterday. Carol...the Merle Dixon you are talking about is my brother."


	8. Reactions

Carol sat for a moment as his words settled inside her. She could not begin to process the fact that the guy who had been one of the main reasons she was in this situation was brothers with the man sitting before her. After a few minutes of silence she got up and went over to the large picture window in the living room. The full moon lit the mountain and the lake with a shimmery silver glow.

He watched as his words played over her features. Her shoulders began to shake as she dropped her head against the cool window pane. Unsure of whether he should go to her or not he got up off the couch and began to walk towards her.

"Stop." She heard his feet stop as she turned to face him. "I need you to give me some time." Her voice waivered as she continued. "I'm not mad or scared. I just need to be by myself for a bit. Please give me tonight and I will be able to talk with you in the morning, ok?"

He nodded as he saw her turn towards the stairs. "I can do that. See you in the morning."

She gave him a small wave and made her way upstairs. He cleaned up their drinks and sat in the firelight as he contemplated what to do next. He hadn't even had a moment to come to the realization that his brother was a killer, but he was also behind all the turmoil the woman he found consuming his thoughts, had been going through.

After Carol had prepared for bed, she climbed in next to Sophia and pulled the covers around by the last few days, she cried as she laid in the dark. She knew, without a doubt, that she held no ill will towards Daryl. He hadn't been in contact with Merle for over fifteen years and she really believed that Daryl would continue to keep her and Sophia safe from Merle and his band of bastards.

This was one of those times that she actually hated Ed and what he had done. Looking back, she had a hard time believing all the crap she put up with while she was married to him. He was a selfish non-man who was violent and lazy. Shaking her head to stop wasting thoughts on him, her mind travelled back to Daryl. He had done more for them in the few weeks they had known each other, than Ed did the whole time they were married.

He woke just as the sky began to lighten with the start of a new day. Taking a few deep breaths, he swung his legs over the bed as he wondered what this day would bring as far as Carol's reaction to what he told her about Merle. He felt anger race through him as he thought of his brother and everything that had happened.

The smell of bacon cooking pulled him from his thoughts as he made his way to the bathroom. After taking care of his business he made his way downstairs. Carol was standing at the counter sipping from her coffee mug as she flipped through a magazine. "Morning," he said as he walked over and pulled a mug from the cupboard.

"Good morning," she replied as she went to the stove to flip the bacon. "How did you sleep?"

"As best as can be expected I suppose."

Turning to face him she stopped suddenly when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. Staring at his chest, she saw a smattering of hair and holy hell, he had tattoos! Trying to maintain a straight face she casually brought her eyes up to meet his. She was hoping he couldn't read her mind as she continued to inwardly drool over his ink. As her cheeks flushed she said, "I hope you don't mind I started breakfast. I woke early and needed to do something to keep myself busy." Keep myself from focusing on the fact that the muscles in your arms would feel amazing wrapped around me she wished.

"No, that's great, thanks!"

"Daryl, I don't mean to jump right in, but do you mind if we talk before Sophia wakes up?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me, " he said as he made his way over to the counter and pulled up a stool.

She stood on the far end of the counter so she could keep an eye on the bacon and still be close to him at the same time. "First, thanks for letting me have the evening to think about what you told me."

Carol hesitated and Daryl felt his heart drop as he was sure she was going to ask for someone else to guard them. "I knew that you were estranged from your brother for years before we found any of this out. You don't have anything to do with his life choices and I completely trust you. You have already proven to me that you will take care of us. I never once thought I would want someone else to stay here with us and I am hoping you will."

Exhaling loudly, he answered, "I am still trying to come to terms with what my brother has done." Taking her hand in his, he continued, "I promise that keeping both you and Sophia safe is all I care about. I will choose you over my brother. He may be my blood, but you ladies are my priority."

He reached up and began to caress her cheek when they suddenly heard, "Momma, where are you!?" Laughing at the timing of Sophia, yet again, Carol made her way to the stairs while Daryl went and shut the bacon off.

Happy that the talk was over and neither was worse for the wear, she glanced back and gave Daryl a soft smile as she made her way up to her daughter.


	9. Olaf, Olaf, Olaf

As a week passed, the three of them fell into a routine. Daryl made sure that Carol and Sophia were comfortable and safe, but he made sure he didn't become complacent. One of Sophia's favorite things to do was to go sledding down a slope off the side of the house that didn't lead to the lake. Many hours were spent bundling her up, riding down with her, walking the sled back up and doing it all over again.

Daryl put up the sled as Carol took Sophia in to dry off and make hot chocolate. His phone began to ring as he opened the door and walked into the mud room off the back. He answered as he pulled his boots off, "Hello?"

"Daryl, it's Shane. Dad wanted me to check in and see how things are going."

"Quite well. The fence is holding up in the wind and the corn is growing tall this season."

Shane knew that everything was holding up well and Carol and Sophia were both doing fine.

"Any issues with bugs?"

"Haven't seen any but I will make sure to let you know if I need more pesticide."

"I'm glad to hear it. Take it easy and keep me posted."

"Yep, will do. Thanks, Shane." Daryl hung up his phone and decided to go back outside. Dusk was settling in and he wanted to walk the property just to make sure everything was ok. He looked for mysterious footprints, broken branches or unusual tire tracks. After thirty minutes, he was satisfied and made his way to the back door and unlocked it. Stepping in, he locked up behind himself and set the alarm.

"Dinner's almost ready," said Carol as she came around the corner. "You probably have enough time to change clothes, wash up and get to the table."

"It smells great. I will be right back."

When he walked into the kitchen five minutes later, they were already waiting for him. He sat across from Carol while Sophia sat between them at the head of the table.

"Everything ok outside," asked Carol as she handed him a bowl to get some stew out of the crock pot.

"Yep. Everything looks quiet. I got a call from Shane checking in, so everything must be quiet their way as well."

Nodding her head, Carol relaxed a bit knowing that. He watched as her demeanor change once he passed that information on. He knew she rested, but it never seemed like a deep sleep for her, considering the situation they were in. He tried very carefully to stay detached from her and Sophia knowing this was a job, but that proved to be more difficult the more time they spent together. Carol was a beautiful woman both inside and out. Sophia was a spunky three year old who was slowly weaving her way into his heart. He tried to deny it, but Carol had started to razz him about how Sophia had him wrapped around her little finger.

Looking over at Sophia he saw her trying to stab a potato with her fork. He grinned as her concentration was obvious by the way her little tongue was sticking out between her lips. She tried three more times and blew out a breath. Looking up she said, "Arro! Can't get my tater...can you?"

"Sophia, you say please help me with my potato," said Carol as she reached over to help.

"No momma! Want Arro to help me!"

Daryl reached to help when he stopped and looked at Sophia. She stared back at him for a few seconds before she said, "You gonna get my tater?"

Trying not to laugh at her emphasis on the "er" as she said tater, Daryl said, "What did momma tell you, peanut?"

"Pweese with my tater," she answered as he helped her push the fork into the elusive piece. She popped the piece in her mouth and smiled in victory. He reached out and gave her a high five as she happily munched away.

Carol quietly watched the interaction between the two of them while trying to remind herself that he was only here on a professional level. Her feelings didn't seem to get the message though.

He had proved over and over what a good person he was. It took her a while to adjust to being in such close proximity to a man, but she learned quickly that Daryl was no Ed. He never raised his voice let alone his hand and he paid Sophia as much attention as she did. He never hesitated to help out and often initiated activities. Whether it was popcorn with a movie in the evening or a serious game of Candy Land with Sophia. She loved 'counting and colors with Arro', even though they really weren't playing the actual game.

"Carol...Carol...Are you ok? You zoned out on us for about ten minutes."

"Oh, yeah, sorry...lost in thought."

"No problem," said Daryl as he helped Sophia down from table and began to wipe off her hands. "Sophia was telling me all about Frozen. I tried to tell her I have watched it with her about a thousand times, but she wanted to make sure I knew who Olaf was and that he would melt in the sun."

"MOMMA, Arro said hims gonna help me make an Olaf! Gonna go outside in the sun and make him. We need a carrot and songs for singin!"

"Slow down, love bug," said Carol as she ate another bite of her stew. "We can talk about singing in the morning. It is dark outside and it is almost time for a bath and bed. Olaf will be there tomorrow."

"I don't wanna wait! Pweese Momma, now!"

Carol looked at Sophia and shook her head. "Momma already told you tomorrow. No more fussing or we go to bed now."

"Ok momma," answered Sophia as she turned and made her way to the couch where her dolls were.

"Sorry, Carol. I didn't mean to get her worked up."

"It's fine. She is tired after all the sledding, so the whining factor is turned up a notch. She will be her sparkly self in the morning believe me."

It was nine o'clock and Sophia was safely tucked into bed. Daryl was stretched out on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. He had a game on, but the volume was on low. Carol walked in with a glass of wine and sat down next to him. He looked at her and said, "Again, I'm sorry about that Olaf thing. I'm afraid that I haven't been around kids much and am not sure how to be around them most of the time."

Grabbing his hand, Carol turned and replied, "You have no clue how good you actually are with her. All children need is someone to pay attention to them, care for them, love them and keep them safe. She already knows she gets those things from you. They are smarter than you think and she already knows how to manipulate you to get what she wants." Smiling, she felt him caress her fingers as she continued, "Please do not worry about this anymore. She adores you."

Daryl quietly said, "What about you?"

Leaning over, Carol kissed his lips softly and said, "I am getting there."

Putting his arm around her he pulled her close as he pressed his lips to hers and felt Carol relax into the kiss. He wanted to explore her lips with his tongue, but Carol surprised him when she opened her mouth and suckled on his tongue as a moan escaped her. He released her hands and pulled her slightly on his lap as he deepened the kiss. His gentleness amazed her, but the urgency behind it made Carol feel a desire she had never felt for any man before. Needing air, they broke apart but kept their foreheads pressed together as they tried to calm themselves a bit.

"Wow," she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

"Yeah, wow," he smirked.

"Where did, how, what does this mean?," she stumbled as she realized what was happening between the two of them.

"What do you want it to mean?," he answered as he watched the emotion and question fill her eyes.


	10. Light My Fire

The following evening Daryl was going to clean up after working up a sweat chopping wood for the fireplace. He went to turn on the water in his master suite bath and discovered it ran cold even after a few minutes. Knowing the pilot light on the water heater must have went out, he decided to step across the hall and use the bathroom Carol and Sophia had been using. He knew Carol was reading a bedtime story to Sophia and didn't want to interrupt to tell her he was going to jump in their shower, so he just went in through the third bedroom.

Turning the shower on, he immediately felt the water warm up. Dropping the towel on the floor, he stepped in and pulled the glass door closed. He grabbed the shampoo and poured some into his hand. The coconut fragrance filled the shower and Daryl stilled for a moment. He was suddenly surrounded by her smell and was taken back to earlier in the day when he held her in his arms and kissed her gently as they got lunch ready for the three of them. He knew he was getting himself in deeper, but couldn't seem to pull away from her. They had even talked about it a bit while Sophia took a nap after lunch.

Carol finished the story to a snoring Sophia and got up to put the book on the shelf. Knowing that Daryl was probably done chopping wood and relaxing on the couch, she decided to put her pajamas and robe on before she went to join him. Focusing on getting her pj pants tied, she stepped into the bathroom and quickly closed the door behind her. When she turned, she then realized she was not alone in the bathroom. The glass shower door did nothing to hide the perfection that was Daryl Dixon. His sculpted arms were washing the soap from his hair, so he had no idea she was standing there ogling him. Unable to move, she continued to watch as the water cascaded down his chest, over his abs and around his impressive package.

Completely distracted by what she saw, she hadn't even realized that he was now watching her. When her eyes slowly travelled back up his body, he said, "Carol?"

Turning five shades of red, she choked out, "Oh my gosh, Daryl! I am so sorry. I didn't know you were showering in this bathroom and by the the time I realized it, I was already in here with the door closed."

He answered her as if there was nothing amiss about him being naked in the shower and not bothering to cover up. Smiling he replied, "Don't apologize, it's ok. I snuck in here while you were reading to her. There is something wrong with the pilot light for the water heater for my bathroom."

Surprised that he wasn't bothered by her being in there, she caught a twinkle in his eye and figured two could play that game. Walking over to the mirror, she began to brush out her hair while watching him in the reflection. She didn't try to be discreet about it and found herself enjoying the view.

He tried to play off the fact that his obvious arousal was becoming more apparent the longer he watched her watching him. "Is there something else you needed?"

She was more turned on than she had ever been in her entire life, but he didn't need to know that. "No, I'm ok. Just freshening up a bit." She caught his eyes in the mirror and felt her temperature rise that much more.

"Carol, turn around," he said gruffly.

She knew her arousal would be obvious, so she crossed her arms as she turned to face him. "I think I am going to go now." She stepped toward the shower to get to the door and caught the desire in his eyes.

"Do you really want to do that?" His words stopped her as they both knew she didn't. "I have tried to deny that there is something going on between us, but I can't seem to stay away from you. Can't seem to stop wanting to touch you. When we kiss, my brain fires on all cylinders. Am I the only one feeling that way?"

Softly, she answered, "No, you aren't." Turning back towards him she decided she wanted him right there, right then. Walking over she locked the door and took her pajama top off. As she slid her bottoms down, she heard the glass door open.

He held out his hand and helped her as she stepped in. Facing each other, she watched as his eyes travelled over her. Embarrassment overtook her and she tried to cover up. He pulled her hands away and laced their fingers as he said, "You are so beautiful and literally take my breath away. Please don't cover up."

Looking up at him, she answered, "I haven't done anything like this before."

"That makes two of us," he assured her as he pulled her to him. He dropped her hands and wrapped her in his arms as he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was demanding, but gentle at the same time. Their tongues dueled before he pulled away abruptly and whispered, "You feel so good."

Running her hands down his back, she grabbed his ass and said, "Show me how good."

They began to explore each other for the first time as his phone began to ring on the nightstand next to his bed. The call went unanswered as did the next five.

Merle looked at the computer screen as he took a sip of the Jack Daniels he had poured for himself. Gareth and Phillip were eating next to him as he made a list in his head of what to do next. His escape from prison had went smoothly and he was ready to catch up to Carol and destroy that stupid bitch once and for all.


	11. Alert

They left the bathroom and went to their bedrooms with a plan to meet downstairs for popcorn and a movie after having a moment to themselves. What had happened in the shower was amazing, but a little scary at the same time.

Carol sat on her bed and took a few deep breaths as she tried calm her beating heart. The time her and Daryl shared in the bathroom was unexpected, but beautiful. He was such a good man and did so many wonderful things for her and Sophia. She couldn't help but smile as she realized her feelings for him were growing deeper. She stood to go downstairs and her door suddenly opened.

Daryl stood in the doorway looking at her while he replayed the conversation he had just had with Rick.

"Hey Rick, what is going on!? I saw you called several times, but was in the shower and didn't hear my phone."

"Are you still doing daily perimeter checks?," asked Rick abruptly.

"Yes, of course, why?"

"We just got word that Merle escaped prison yesterday."

"Wait, what? How in the hell did that happen?"

"I guess he was on a work detail outside the fence and the group was ambushed. The guards were shot, but no one was killed. The people that did it, secured the remaining prisoners in the bus and took Merle with them. According to the other prisoners, the men who did this knew Merle."

"I can't believe this shit! How did even find his way to a work detail to begin with?"

"I am as confused and pissed off as you are, Daryl. We are looking into it as we speak. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to step up your perimeter checks and inspect your cameras and security systems daily."

"Absolutely, Rick. I am not going to let anything happen to Carol or Sophia."

"I know you will. We are going to send patrols into the area to start monitoring activity on and off the mountain. We will also have a patrol on the lake to have eyes on the house from there. I will let you know when those units are on their way and give you any contact information as well."

Anger filled him as he thought about what Merle had done. "Thanks for letting me know about the escape. I am going to let Carol know what is going on."

Rick heard the change in his tone. "Daryl, none of this is your fault. He may be your brother, but he makes his own choices." He paused, but when Daryl didn't reply, he hung up.

Pulling his thoughts back in, he waved Carol out into the hallway. She followed him out and quietly closed the door. Turning, she found herself inches away from him as he had stepped up behind her.

Carol smiled up at him as she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers together. "Come downstairs with me. We have to talk."

Hearing the tone in his voice put her on alert. "What's wrong?," she asked as she sat next to him.

"I just got off the phone with Rick. Merle escaped from prison yesterday. They are currently looking for him, but obviously Rick wanted us to know, so we are prepared."

She stood and pulled her hand away as she went towards the stairs. "I gotta go. I have to take Sophia and get off this damn mountain." Her voice trembled as she continued, "I won't have time to pack much, but I can get more things on the road. One bag should be sufficient for both of us. I should go to the ATM and pull out all my money, so I have it with me and he won't be able to trace us."

Daryl watched as she slowly fell apart in front of him. She paced and kept muttering various things as she organized her plan to get off the mountain. Walking over to her he tried to bring her attention back on him. "Carol, slow down. You are not going anywhere. I promise that you are safe here…"

Yelling, she interrupted him, "YOU PROMISE!? HOW? HE COULD BE HEADING UP THE DRIVEWAY AS WE SPEAK! YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE YOU CAN KEEP US SAFE! NOTHING HAS WORKED SO FAR...OH MY GOD, HE IS GOING TO GET MY SOPHIA, DARYL! HE IS GOING TO GET MY SOPHIA!"

He saw her sway and was able to catch her before she collapsed to the floor. Her face was red and sweaty. Knowing her needed to calm her down, he laid her on the couch and ran to get a cold washcloth. Her eyes were still closed as he placed the washcloth on the back of her neck. He sat on the floor next to the couch and gently stroked her hand for a few minutes. Her color returned to normal as her breathing became steady and deep.

He watched as her eyes fluttered open. Quietly she said, "What happened?"

"You were extremely upset about Merle, got worked up, and eventually fainted."

She closed her eyes and did some deep breathing. "Yes, I remember. We are in danger and have to get out of here right away."

"Open your eyes and look at me, please." When he had her attention, he said, "Let me tell you what Rick and I are setting up. Hopefully, it will put your mind at ease. I am going to complete perimeter checks three times a day. He is putting extra patrols at the base of the mountain to monitor who is going off or coming on it. There will be boat patrols monitoring the house and treeline from the lake. Also, there will be agents working with the county to patrol the woods outside of the perimeter I check. We are not alone in this."

He continued to hold her hand while giving her a few minutes to think about everything he had

told her. Calmly, she answered, "Thank you for taking care of us. I really do trust you. I would just like to catch a break with this whole thing and I guess that's just wishful thinking."

"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."


	12. Merle

They walked upstairs together after they talked about Merle a bit more. He turned and gave her a goodnight kiss before entering his bedroom.

"Daryl?"

"Yes, Carol?"

"I realize you are just across the hall, but would you sleep in here with us? This whole thing has me freaked out."

"Sure, I can do that."

He followed her into the bedroom her and Sophia had been using. Walking over to the window, he lifted the curtain as Carol took off her robe and kneeled down to check on Sophia. There had been issues with falling out of the bed, so Carol had made a nest on the floor next to her. Finding her daughter sound asleep, Carol slid into bed.

"All's quiet out there," said Daryl as he let the curtain slide back into place. Facing her again, he noticed she had pulled back the covers and patted the bed for him. Looking up at her, she graciously said, "After what happened in that shower, Dixon, I think we can sleep in the same bed."

"What about Sophia?"

"It is ok, we're just sleeping. She is too little to understand anything beyond that anyway." Her face turned serious as she continued, "I will feel safer with you here with us."

"I understand. This is a king size bed, why don't we put Sophia between us? That way, she won't fall off the bed and I will feel more secure with both of you by me."

"Sounds great," answered Carol as her heart warmed a bit. He really was a good man and little things this just reiterated that fact.

After they got Sophia settled, Carol reached out and touched Daryl on the shoulder. He reached up, grabbed her hand and kissed the inside of her palm. Laying it back on his shoulder, he placed his hand over top of it and held it. She let a big sigh and closed her eyes.

He was still wide awake and knew she had fallen asleep when her breathing evened out. He was not used to being at the disadvantage in a situation like this and it pissed him off. He carefully got up and began to pace the floor next to the bed. He grew up with Merle's bullshit and really thought he wouldn't ever have to see him again. But NO, fuckin Merle showed up in this case; the mastermind behind some seriously jacked up stuff.

"No, no, no, not Sophia," Carol said in her sleep. He heard the pain in her voice and stopped walking. Shaking his head and scrubbing hands over his face, he was done feeling sorry for himself and focused on keeping his girls safe. Wait? His girls? Smiling, he thought, yeah, my girls. There is no way I am letting you get to them Merle. Climbing into bed he turned and faced Carol. He began to caress her shoulder and she settled down once again. Eventually, he gave way to sleep.

Shaking his head, Merle slammed his phone against the wall. "FUCK ME!"

Startled, Gareth looked up as Phillip came running from the bedroom. "What the hell is that all about!?"

"I just paid some serious cash to find out who the agent is that has been working Shellie's case. Carol! Damn, whatever her name is! You guys aren't gonna believe this. It's my brother, Daryl. I knew years ago that he had become a police officer. I had no idea he was working with the witness protection program. Out of all the cases they deal with, I get my brother's case."

Gareth walked over to Merle and said, "Look, I understand you are pissed, but you need to stay focused. We have been busting our asses for the last two years trying to track this bitch down. We have done all of this for you, so snap out of it!"

Merle grabbed Gareth's jaw and squeezed it tightly as he said, "I know that, mother fucker. Get the hell out of my space before I smack you around. Do you seriously think I don't know what I am doing? I been dealing crazy ass shit for years now. This is just a bump in the road."

Phillip watched the exchange between the two men before he walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "Settle down. We have worked for you for years. Gareth isn't questioning your ability or the mission. He is just telling you to slow down. Seriously, Merle, how are we going to deal with this now that your brother is the one protecting her?"

"Gentlemen, I am only going to say this once. I am an escaped convict because of what that bitch did to me. When the time comes for her to be taken out, I will kill Daryl if I have to in order to get to her. Don't ever doubt that."

"Damn dude," said Gareth as he popped a beer open. "I don't always get along with my brother, but I certainly wouldn't be so casual about killing him."

"Let me clear this up for you bastards now. Daryl and I have never really been the kind of brothers who go fishing, set up camp, start a fire and sing kumbaya as we look at the stars. Our parents were druggies who left us alone most of the time while they went to find their next hit. I was left in charge and hated having to take care of us. Of him. I wanted to be a kid, hang with friends as I grew up and couldn't because that little fucker was always around."

"Even after he was a grown ass adult, he never thanked me. Figured it was owed to him, I guess. I would call him to help me out and he'd lecture me on how I needed to 'change my ways.' Get a real job and find a nice lady. Screw that and screw him! I make more money in a month than he makes in a year and always have hot pussy when I need it. Believe me...it will be my pleasure to put a bullet in his fuckin head and watch him bleed out."


	13. Decisions

Merle walked closer as Carol tried put Sofia further behind her.

"You can keep pushing her, but that doesn't mean I can't get to the both of you," Merle laughed.

Carol watched as Merle stepped over the unconscious body of Daryl as blood continued to pool on the floor from the bullet wound he had received to the stomach.

"I can't believe you shot your own brother like that."

"Sure I shot him but just wait till you see what I do to you and that little punk kid of yours," Merle sneered.

"Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you," Carol cried out. As she began to reach for Sophia, Carol tried to push him away from the both of them. He reached towads them just as Carol woke up realizing it was a dream. She began to take deep breaths and calm herself. She didn't want to wake Daryl or Sophia up so she tried to remain calm. Her thoughts were consumed by Merle and what he was capable of doing.

Feeling the bed jolt Daryl spoke quietly and said, "Carol, what's wrong?

"I don't know how much longer I can do this. He is going to come and get us! I need to do something."

"I know you're scared but I promise to get to him before he gets to you."

"I know you will," she whispered as she looked his direction. "It's not that I don't feel safe, it's that I wish there was something that I could do."

Reaching over Sofia, Daryl caressed her shoulder as he said, "I know this is tough but let's try to get some sleep. Maybe the morning will give everyone a new perspective on things."

"I know what you're saying is right but it's hard to sleep when I am dreaming about what he is going to do."

"Let me see what I can do about that." Gently,so he didn't wake Sophia up, he climbed out of bed and came around to Carol's side. Carol slid both her and Sophia over and Daryl climbed in behind her. Snuggling in he wrapped both her and Sophia up in his arms. "Try to get some sleep, love."

Carol settled into him and was instantly surrounded by his warmth. Thinking it would take her awhile to fall back asleep she didn't even notice as her eyes began to droop closed.

The next morning Daryl's phone began to ring causing them to wake up. Sliding out from behind Carol, he stepped around the bed and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. Not wanting to wake Sofia he went into the hallway before he answered.

"Dixon," he said as he cracked his neck trying to wake himself up.

Walking down the stairs and heading toward the coffee pot he listened as Rick said, "I wanted to let you know that we still have an eye on your brother but some decisions need to be made before something happens. We need to be proactive at this point."

Counting scoops as he talked, Daryl responded, "Yes, I know we need to make a plan. I'm still thinking about what could be done to draw Merle out and in another direction without putting anyone in danger."

From behind him Carol spoke up, "Why don't I become the bait? I'm tired of sitting around wondering what is going to happen next. You two need to come up with some kind of plan that includes me. I can handle it, I know I can."

"No; absolutely not! There is no way I'm going to let you use yourself as bait to draw them out."

"Daryl, I know you're worried, but I really think that I can do this."

"I know you want to help, but you have never done anything like this before. I know it has been a while since I have had any contact with my brother, but I know for a fact, that he can be very sly and one step ahead of things if we are not careful."

Trying not to look disappointed, Carol turned away as she heard Sofia call for her upstairs.

"It might not be a bad idea to let Carol help in drawing Merle out. We could set up a fake location for her to be at with our protection and that way she would have coverage and Sophia would still be safe."

"Rick, I know we are trying to come up with the best possible solution, but I don't see how putting a member of the witness protection program in the line of fire would be in our best interest. Let me think about it for a little bit and I will get back to you."

"Okay, but don't take too long we don't have a lot of time."

Hanging up, Daryl looked up in time to see Carol holding Sophia's hand as they made their way down the stairs. He knew in that instant both Carol and her daughter had become more than just a case for him.

"Morning, Arro," said Sophia as she greeted him with a grin. "How come you were seepin' with me and mommy in the bed?" Daryl looked up at Carol as she tried to hide her laugh. "I waked up and you was holdin' momma's hand. I wanted to hold hands, too, so I put mine on top of yours. You were makin' a loud noise out of your nose. How come you were makin' noises? Mommy says we are suppose to be quiet while we seep."

Bending down he scooped her up as he said, "Morning, Soph, that sure is a lot of questions first thing in the morning."

Ignoring his comment she leaned over and gave him a big hug as she continued, "What's for breakfast? I want pancakes. With lots of syrup. Do you like lots of syrup, daddy?"

Carol was following behind them when her and Daryl both stopped suddenly. He turned to look back at her to gage her reaction at what Sophia had just called him. Carol smiled at him and said, "I think we will all have lots of syrup, my girl."

After they ate breakfast, Daryl took a walk outside to think about what Rick had told him and what Carol had offered to do. He knew they had to come up with a plan quickly, but he also knew there would be a major risk no matter what decisions were made.


	14. Moving Forward

They sat on the couch watching a TV show together after sophia had settled in for the night. Daryl's eyes were focused on the tv, but he was not really paying attention to what was going on. As he had done all day long, he kept running different scenarios over in his head on how they could set Merle up and all of them to led back to needing Carol's help. Carol was the one that Merle wanted and as much as Daryl hated to do it. He knew it would be hard, but they might have to take her up on her offer to help bring Merle out of hiding.

When the show ended, Carol sat up and turned to face him. "Okay you didn't pay attention to that TV show. Penny for your thoughts," she said.

"I was trying to come up with a plan for Merle and as much as I hate to admit it I am starting to agree with you. You might be just the bait to lead him to us." Carol was surprised to say the least. Daryl's change of heart made her realize how desperate they were to end this situation. "I will call Rick in the morning and see what we can get started. The quicker we get this taken care of the quicker you and I can concentrate on where we might be truly going."

He caressed her cheek softly as she said, " I know how hard this decision was for you and I promise I will do my best. I also want to be able to focus on you, Sophia and I and not have Merle hanging over our heads."

The next morning Carol woke up and discovered Daryl downstairs in the kitchen already on the phone with Rick. "Okay, so we'll do that," said Daryl as he took a sip of coffee. "See if you can find a rental house in town that she could be pretend to be renting out. Make sure it has plenty of closets for us to be able to hide in when she meets him there. Agent Romanov is already on her way up here to stay with Sophia while this whole thing goes down. I will talk with Carol and explain Romanov and how she works. That should put her mind at ease as far as leaving Sophia with her. Make sure you call me as soon as you guys find a location and check it out. Remember only let the core group know. We still don't know which agent leaked Carol's information to Merle to begin with. I mean it Rick; you, Shane, Sasha, Glen. Ok, thanks."

He set his phone on the counter as Carol walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She placed her cheek against his back and didn't say anything for a moment as she enjoyed the quiet and the warmth against her.

After a minute she said, "I heard you on the phone with Rick and it sounds like plans are under way."

"We're working on it. I'm hoping to hear back from them by later this afternoon. We have someone coming up the mountain that I need to talk with you about because she will be the agent that stays with Sophia while the rest of us are at the fake house with you and Merle."

Carol looked out the windows of the Four Seasons porch and saw the sun was already brightly shining in the sky. "Why don't we bundle up and take our coffee outside to talk. It looks like it is going to be a lovely day."

"Sounds good," said Daryl as he turned himself to face her for a good morning hug. Looking down into her blue eyes he found himself saying, "I can't believe that I agreed to this. I'm terrified that I'm not making the right choice."

"I know it's scary, but I promise you everything will be ok."

After bundling up and grabbing travel mugs for their coffee, they made their way outside. They sat down on the glider swing and looked out onto the lake. Daryl waited for a moment before he began to talk.

Carol could see his hesitation as he said, "The agent that will be coming to stay with Sophia is Scarlett Romanov. She and I had a pretty serious relationship a few years back and I just wanted to give you a heads up before she came up here. I do not have feelings for her anymore, but I cannot say the same thing for her. I wouldn't have her come up here if I didn't think she was the best choice for taking care of Sophia while we are gone. She can be a little overwhelming at times and I didn't want to give her the opportunity to make you feel uncomfortable before I had the chance to talk to you. I promise you Sofia is in good hands, but don't let Scarlett get the best of you. I'm interested in only you and I seriously want to see where this relationship can take us."

Carol sat quietly absorbing what he had said. "You should know by now that I completely trust your judgement," said Carol as she grasped his hand. "If you think she can take care of Sophia then I won't have any trouble with her." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before she continued, "I better get back inside before Sophia wakes up."

"You know how much she loves this swing," he added. "If she's awake, why don't you bundle her up and bring her out here with us. She would think that was pretty cool to be sitting on the swing in her pajamas."

Carol chuckled, "I didn't think of that, great idea!"

A few minutes later she returned with Sophia in tow. "Look Arro, I drinkin hot chokit!"

"Hot chocolate is yummy, Sophia. Come sit over here so you can be snuggled with mom and me."

Sophia tried to pull herself up on the swing but her legs weren't quite long enough, so Daryl reached over and snuggled her up next to him. Carol sat down on the other side of her and the three of them stared out at the lake as they began rocking back and forth. Sitting in the calm, they really had no idea how much their world would turn upside down the following day.

As Merle zipped his duffle bag closed he yelled, "Are you two losers ready yet? We need to get to the airport and catch the plane in the next hour. Now that we have narrowed down what state that bitch is in, we should be able to find her exact location within the next 12 hours. I'm thinking after we put her six feet under we could sell her daughter to the black market and get a pretty decent price for her."

Stepping out into the hallway and made his way toward the kitchen. Philip and Gareth were standing there with their bags ready checking their tickets. "Yeah Merle, we're ready to go," said Philip as placed his bag over his shoulder.

Garrett scrolled through his phone until he found the exact number he was looking for. "Do you want me to call them and see if anyone out there is looking to purchase a 3 year old American girl?" Merle laughed and said, "Absolutely. Let's see how high we can get the bid before we make the sale. I'll make sure to let her mama know what our plans are for her daughter before I put a bullet in her head."


	15. Here We Go

Carol and Daryl sat at the kitchen table while Sophia finished the last of her lunch. "Momma, we gonna play snowballs later?"

"I don't know, Sophia, we'll have to see how your nap goes," said Carol with a smirk.

Daryl left the table and went to the counter to check to see if the ice tea maker was done. He got glasses down and begin to fill them with ice when suddenly his phone began to ring.

"Dixon," he answered as he turned to make eye contact with her.

"Daryl, I have some great news!," said Shane. "Rick and I were able to locate a house towards the bottom of the mountain. It's actually a rental house that is fully furnished so that will make this whole process even faster."

"That sounds great," said Daryl as he began to pour their drinks. He felt Carol come up behind him and knew that she wanted to get closer to the conversation to find out what was happening. "The house is on the mountain about one mile up from the main road. It has a private driveway, so we do not have to worry about any civilians being involved."

"How are we making it known that that is 'where she is going to be' if you know what I mean."

"The landlord likes to visit with her friends at the local diner for lunch everyday. We already know it was brought up in conversation," answered Shane.

Daryl smiled and said, Good! I'm so glad to hear that this will be taken care of sooner rather than later. I know that Carol will be relieved as well."

Shane continued,"Rick is finalizing the paperwork along with the details of the plan. Sasha should be calling you back within an hour or so to give you all of the details. By the way, Scarlett just left the hotel and is on her way up the mountain right now. She didn't seem particularly happy about not being involved where the action is. What she knows is that Sophia needs to be kept out of harms way."

"Thanks for letting us know. Carol and I appreciate you helping take care of this and in such a quick manner," said Daryl as he felt her wrap her arms around his middle.

"No problem, just doing my job. Hopefully we can catch this bastard and then Carol won't have to worry about anything ever again. Wait for Sasha's call. Talk to you in a bit."

"Sounds good, bye."

Daryl went over to the table and said, "Let's get Sophia up in bed and then I will tell you what Shane told me."

Sophia finished up the rest of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then asked again, "Momma, can we play snowballs when I wake up?"

"I don't know yet Soph, we will see what's happening when you get up from your nap," said Carol as she washed her hands clean of the peanut butter and jelly that was currently making them stick together.

Daryl waited at the kitchen table while Carol got her settled in for her nap. A few minutes later Carol came down and immediately said, "Okay, Daryl,what is going on?"

He waited for her to have a seat and then explained about the house that the agents had found and that they would be getting details from Sasha within the next hour or so. "Agent Romanov is also on her way up the mountain as we speak. Remember what I told you. Do not let her intimidate you and do not be afraid to stand your ground. She won't be rude to you, but she has had a hard time understanding the fact that her and I are no longer together."

Carol shook her head slightly and said, "I have enough things to worry about without being intimidated by her. Don't worry I can hold my own."

Things were quiet as they sat there, drank their ice teas and ate their sandwiches they had prepared for lunch. It was a little unsettling to be sitting and relaxing knowing how much things were going to change within the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours.

Carol was lost in thought when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Daryl went and opened it. He stepped back as he said, "Hi Scarlett, thanks for coming. We appreciate your help with taking care of Sophia while we deal with this business my brother has gotten us into."

She gave him a soft look as she reached out and caressed his arm. "That's not a problem Daryl. I am glad to help. You know I would be willing to do pretty much anything for you."

He pulled his arm away as he said, "Come on, there is someone that I would like you to meet." Carol stood up from the table and walked over to them. When Daryl stepped to the side she saw one of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen before. Agent Romanov had curly strawberry blonde hair that fell just below her shoulders and piercing blue eyes. Carol was surprised at how attractive she was. Most agents she had dealt with were older and not as physically fit.

Extending her hand Carol said, "Hi, I'm Carol Peletier. Thank you for coming and helping my daughter, Daryl and I."

"Scarlett Romanov. It's my pleasure to help take care of your daughter while Daryl works to get this problem solved."

"Carol and I were having lunch Scarlett. Are you hungry? Would you like a sandwich?"

"No thanks. It's kind of you to offer, but I ate before I came up the mountain."

The three of them sat back down at the table together and Agent Romanov asked "Why all the secrecy with this case? What's going on?"

Daryl took a sip of tea and answered, "Carol has been part of the witness protection program for a few years now. We discovered over the last five or six weeks that there is a leak in the agency. She witnessed the murder of her husband and one of the agents was paid well to give all that information to two of Merle's henchmen. The extremely ironic thing is that the man who is after Carol is also my brother."

With a look of utter surprise, Scarlett said, "You have got to be kidding me! Merle Dixon is your brother!? Of all the cases in all the world, you land the case that involves him. Wow."

"Yeah it's crazy the way this all happened," said Daryl as he got up to put their dishes in the sink. Walking back towards them he continued, "That being said, I can't just sit here. I need to make sure we are ready for when they put this plan into motion."

"Come sit down, Daryl," said Carol as she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.

Plopping himself back in his chair he let out an exasperated breath. Small talk continued as they waited for Sasha to get back to them.

"How long have you been protecting Carol,?" said Scarlett as she eyed their fingers.

"I have been keeping an eye out for her for about six weeks now."

"We were neighbors first, or so I tnought. I didn't realize until about a week after I moved in that he was undercover to protect me. "Excuse me please," said Carol as she went to check on Sophia and use the restroom.

As she was coming back down the stairs she could hear what they were saying. "Yes, Carol and I have decided to start seeing each other although I don't know why that would be your business."

Scarlett replied with distaste in her voice, "Are you sure that's such a good idea? You know what we had was off the charts."

He looked at her and shook his head as he replied, " I've already told you that there is no chance that you and I will get back together again. I have already told you that time and time again. I mean it, don't piss me off with this again."

Carol smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs and cleared her voice. Both of them turned to look at her as Carol said, "I heard what the two of you were saying as I came down the stairs. Scarlett, let me assure you that Daryl is quite content with me. I expect I won't hear or see you come on to him again in this house. Do I make myself clear?"

Scarlett looked over at Daryl and said, "Excellent! She's fiesty. I like that for you!" Turning her attention back to Carol she replied, "No worries, Carol, I can tell he is quite smitten with you."

Before the conversation could continue, Daryl's phone rang.


	16. Scarlett

Daryl answered the phone as Carol and Scarlett looked on.

"What did you guys get figured out, Sasha?"

"We have confirmed that Merle, Philip and Gareth all boarded a plane a few hours ago and are headed in your direction. Our plan is to have Carol in the secure house by this evening. There will be five agents inside the house with her and five more on the outside monitoring the perimeter. It happens to be a property that has cameras installed, which will be an added bonus for us. We will wait for the three men to make their move and then go in for the arrest."

"I will be the agent on Carol herself," said Daryl firmly.

"Agent placement will be discussed when the team arrives prior to Carol showing up."

"That very well maybe, Sasha, but I'll be the agent that's on Carol. I'm not taking any chances with any slip ups or surprises. If Rick has an issue with me being on her, tell him to give me a call. Has there been any luck on finding out who the leak was on the inside of the agency?"

"They believe they have it narrowed down to Agent Rhee."

"Glenn? I can't believe that!," said Daryl with total surprise in his voice.

"Nothing is confirmed yet. We are trying to finalize the information that we have been given. Okay, Daryl, I'm going to go and get the transportation lined up. We will call you back in a little bit to let you know when we will need you and Carol to meet us at the secure house. I will also be sending you an email that will provide you with the complete background of these three gentleman and what we will be able to arrest them for besides going after Carol."

"Okay, thanks again, Sasha."

Agent Romanov spoke, "First, it sounds like they are pretty well prepared for this mission. Hopefully, this can be taken care of tonight and then Carol can breathe a little easier and worry more about raising her daughter then having someone come after her."

"That would be nice," said Carol as she stood up and went over to him. "I am so glad that you are going to be there with me."

"Always," said Daryl. "I told you that you and Sophia are my priorities now."

Tucking herself into his side, she turned and looked at Scarlett. "Sophia should be waking up shortly and then I will be able to introduce her to you." She no sooner said the words when a thump came from overhead. "There she is now," said Carol as she began to make her way over to the stairs. "We'll be right back."

"I got the email from Sasha," he said as he clicked on his inbox. "Let's take a look at what these guys have on their records, which will give us a better indication of what we are dealing with." Daryl and Scarlett sat down at the table as Daryl's emails begin to upload.

After a few minutes Scarlett realize that Daryl had hundreds of emails that he had not opened up yet. "Good lord, Dixon, when is the last time you cleaned out your email? This is taking forever because of how much crap is still in there!"

"You know I don't use my email," mumbled Daryl.

"Well maybe it's time you stepped into the 21st century. I wouldn't be surprised if you're still using AOL dialup."

"Smart ass," said Daryl as he clicked on the email.

They we're both laughing when he suddenly felt arms wrapped around his knees. Looking down at his side Sophia's two big blue eyes staring back at him.

"Hi Arro," she said as she smiled up at him.

"Hey there sweet pea," he answered as he scooped her up and put her on his lap.

Sophia stared at Scarlett and then turned to Carol who had taken the seat at the table next to him. "Momma, who is that?"

"This is my friend Scarlett. Can you say hi to her Soph?," replied Daryl. Sophia became suddenly shy and tucked her face into Daryl's arm. A soft mumble of 'Hi Carlet' could be heard.

"Hi Sophia, it's so nice to meet you. I love your curly hair."

"Tanks," Sophia said as she peeked out at her.

"Sophia, Scarlett is going to stay with you because Daryl and I have to go out to do a few errands tonight."

"I can't go with you?," said Sophia is she looked hopeful at her mom.

"Not tonight, love, we have some things to take care of at places where only big people can go. Scarlett will give you dinner and she will make sure you take your bath and tuck you into bed."

"I want to go with you! I don't want to stay home," said Sophia as her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Don't worry Sophia. We won't be gone long and when you wake up in the morning, we will both be here," said Daryl as he gave her an extra hug.

Carol wearily looked at both him and Scarlett. Scarlett knew she needed to put her mind at ease so they could both focus on what they needed to do.

Getting up from the table Scarlett held out her hand to Sophia and said,"Sophia why don't you show me your favorite toys you like to play with while mom and Daryl get ready to go?"

Sophia looked nervous for a moment before she tipped her head back and looked up at Daryl.

"Go on, Sweet Pea. Go with Scarlett and show her your dollies that you like to play with all the time."

Sophia slid down from Daryl's lap and grabbed Scarlet's hand. "Momma said I could play snowballs when I got up from my nap. Can we do that now?"

"Snowball sounds fun," said Scarlett as her and Sophia begin to walk up the stairs. "Why don't you show me your dolls first and then we will get our winter clothes on and go outside to play?"

When Merle push the hotel room door open he gagged on the stale urine smell that wafted out of the room.

"Damn that's nasty," said Philip as he put his hand up to his face.

Merle shot daggers at him as he grumbled, "We cannot stay at some big, fancy hotel where they can trace and find us. I picked this place because it is off the beaten path. I can pay cash for the rooms no questions are asked. We need this kind of anonymity if we're going to nail that cunt and get her daughter in the process. Quit whining like a little baby, grab your bag and get your ass into the room. I don't want hear another word about the condition of this place. We won't be staying here that long, so suck it up!"

Gareth struggled in behind them with his bag falling off one shoulder while his laptop wiggled precariously in his hands. "Now that we know where she is and we are here, what is the plan, Merle?"


End file.
